Today's Veterinary Business

AUG 2018

Today’s Veterinary Business provides information and resources designed to help veterinarians and office management improve the financial performance of their practices, allowing them to increase the level of patient care and client service.

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August/September 2018 • TODAYSVETERINARYBUSINESS.COM
Safety Data Sheets
Every chemical has a Safety Data
Sheet. It is important that the
practice have a complete set of
SDS's for all onsite chemicals. Start
with your hazardous chemical
list and then work on collecting
sheets for every medication and
chemical, whether hazardous
or not. SDS's are available from
suppliers or from the place of
purchase in the case of cleaning
supplies (usually the website).
Whether you keep printed copies
in a binder or store them on a
computer, every employee must
know how to access them.
Safety Personnel
Gone are the days of the solo safety
officer. Although someone needs
to take the lead on employee
safety, a safety committee is more
appropriate and more effective.
Consider building your committee
with a representative of each de-
partment. A well-rounded commit-
tee spreads the workload, leading
to more accountability.
The functions of the safety commit-
tee are to:
• Perform regular facility
inspections and
hazard assessments.
• Participate in quarterly
incident reviews.
• Develop action plans for
correcting hazards.
• Maintain an SDS library.
• Ensure secondary label
compliance and maintenance.
• Develop training programs
and updates.
• Institute safety plan updates.
Facility and Hazard Assessments
Hospital inspections are required
to take place annually, when OSHA
regulations change, when a facility
changes, or following an incident
or quarterly trend analysis. Part of
the inspection is the hazard assess-
ment, which should focus on:
• Known or potential hazards in
each work area.
• Hazards that can be avoided
or minimized with personal
protective equipment (PPE).
Getting Technical columnist Sandy Walsh is a practice management con-
sultant, speaker, writer and instructor for Patterson Veterinary University.
• PPE limitations.
• The use of signs or tags to
signal potential hazards or
dangers.
• Compliance with required
OSHA postings and reporting
forms (Poster 3165 and forms
300, 300A and 301).
When hazards are identified
and PPE is required, training on
when and how to utilize PPE, and
its proper care and maintenance, is
necessary. Employees must comply
with newly enacted safety protocols
and procedures. Hospital leaders
should set the example, and em-
ployees who fail to adhere to safety
protocols must be held accountable.
Employee Training
Regular and structured safety train-
ing is an OSHA requirement. Em-
ployees must be trained upon hir-
ing, when OSHA standards change,
and annually. Make safety training
a part of every meeting. This means
more than just presenting informa-
tion to employees. OSHA has moved
from a "right to know" to a "right to
understand" requirement.
Also, keep a copy of training re-
cords. Document the attendees, the
safety issue addressed and any pro-
grams instituted. Make sure every
employee knows where the Injury
and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP)
and Hazard Communication Stan-
dard (HCS) — materials developed
by the safety team — are located.
These are resources an OSHA inspec-
tor will ask to see during a visit.
When it comes to OSHA, all
practices must take a proactive,
rather than reactive, approach.
As you identify potential
hazards, develop a safety manual.
Prepare detailed safety plans that
outline policies and procedures de-
signed to prevent injury and illness.
Where Trouble Lurks
Here are the top 10 OSHA violations
committed by veterinary practices,
as reported by AVMA PLIT.
1. No hazard communication
program.
2. No certification of personal
protective equipment
assessment.
3. No fire and emergency plans.
4. Poor employee training
documentation.
5. Lack of Safety Data Sheets.
6. Inappropriate personal
protective equipment.
7. Poor or no chemical labeling.
8. OSHA forms not utilized.
9. Human food in unsafe areas.
10. No control of waste anesthetic
gases.
Financial Penalties
Need an incentive to be compli-
ant? OSHA fines jumped by about
80 percent in August 2016 — the
first increase in 25 years — and
will rise annually to keep pace
with inflation. If you think com-
pliance is expensive, consider the
list below as a reality check. The
fines shown are per violation and
are cumulative.
No business wants to be on
the receiving end of an OSHA
inspection and fine, but by paying
attention to rules and regulations
you can achieve and maintain com-
pliance and provide a safe work
environment for employees.
Additional OSHA information,
resources and updates can be
found at www.osha.gov.
Violation
type
Pre-2016
maximum
Post-2016
maximum
Other than
serious
$7,000 $12,600
Serious $7,000 $12,600
Willful $70,000 $126,000
Repeat $70,000 $126,000
Hospital leaders should set the example,
and employees who fail to adhere to
safety protocols must be held accountable.